Irony of the Destiny

[precious007]

I feel the same way, I started smoking in college and it got to the point where all i could think about was getting out of class so I could light up. When i first started using snus I was always worried about having a tin on me and I freaked out if i forgot it, but now I mostly use snus for the enjoyment of it now instead of a desperate need for nicotine or whatever shit they put in ciggs

i think it's cyanides of some sort that they put in cigarettes =))

[JohnDicey]

Apologies for barging onto this forum and into this thread - but my interest was grabbed when Allen Carr was mentioned (I run Allen Carr's Easyway organisation).

To be blunt - I'm really interested in the upsides of snus (as you see them), what is it that you enjoy about using snus (both compared to smoking and stand alone), and whether you wish you didn't have to use Snus at all ie if you could press a magic button that would take away your desire to us snus - would you?

To be entirely frank - we have been contacted by snus users in Scandinavia who appear keen to stop using snus. Many have succeeded in doing so just by reading our stop smoking book/attending our stop smoking seminars but it would be nice to provide a bespoke solution for those who wish to cease the use of snus entirely.

I'd welcome as many comments as possible (and please accept my apologies again for barging onto your snus forum.

Best wishes
John Dicey
Worldwide Director
Allen Carr's Easyway

[WickedKitchen]

I wouldn't push that button. Not now. I enjoy the flavors and the oral fixation more than anything else. Someday I'll stop using it but for now I'm content.

[bill77.017]

Hi john. Welcome to the forum. I,m familiar with Allen Carrs method having read some of his books. What i enjoy about Snus is that i can get nicotine
without any of the dangers of smoking. I can also use it anywhere i wish and it is also much more enjoyable than having to
stick a cigarette in your mouth and not being able to breath. The reason Snus worked for me is because of its high nic content and
it was easy for me to stop smoking using it. Its two years since i las had a smoke and i would never have achieved that using other
methods. Ideally i wish i didn.t need nicotine at all but i am addicted and for harm reduction Snus is the safest and most
enjoyable way to achieve this. Snus really is that good.

[precious007]

hey John,

I'm still a nicotine addict to be honest, and I've tried everything to quit the addiction

- Will Power
- Patches (though it would be easier to get off patches, IF they helped) - they gave me a terrible skin rash and had to throw them away.
- I've read Allen Carr's books - All of them
- I run two quit smoking sites and actually promote the use of snus to quit smoking because it helped me tremendously
- I think it's a more psychological thing with the nicotine use and not really that I can't quit using snus...
- Snus users (the one that also smoked) most of them still need that "FIX" and they can only find it in snus
- To be honest apart from the nicotine addiction, snus is a very pleasant experience... at least to a certain extent
- I've quit snus for two month and didn't really feel the urge to have it again... I just started using it again of pure pleasure and now I can say I'm hooked
- The american dip is a slightly different story - I actually crave this stuff (I'm out of dip at the moment, only two cans left and I'm not feeling all that well when the cravings come)
- I even lit up cigarettes during the Christmas because of that, lol
- I think that quitting a drug entire purely depends on each individual (the lifestyle, his/her friends there are a lot of factors involved here) .. I mean either the snus users or smokers/cigar smokers/ dippers/ snuffers whatever... we spend countless hours doing this stuff daily ... what would you fill that gap with right away... I know you'll probably say: sports/exercise and so on ... yeah partly true but not that easy....
- I'm really anxious if I don't take the nicotine (I mean to that level that I am truly shaking on my feet, feeling like a bomb that going to explode, lol
- hope you understand :P

I've seen that Allen Carr's association is coming to Romania in 2011, is it in Bucharest?

Looking forward to join it, if there is a meet up or something ;-)

Thanks
Alex

[lxskllr]

Hiya John, welcome to SnusOn. Here's my random thoughts on snus, and why I use it.

First off, I wouldn't quit, even if I could make it disappear without any knowledge on my part. I /may/ use less, but I wouldn't quit.

I like smoking, and I still like smoking. I like everything about it, except for the health issues, and hassle from people and governmental organizations. Snus gives me some of the pleasure from smoking, with drastically reduced risk, and no hassle from others.

Specifically what I like about snus, is I can walk around with flavor in my mouth, that doesn't put on weight, or fill me up. The flavors are complex, and more adult oriented than something like chewing gum. Also, they're still somewhat exotic, even after snusing for 4 years. Intangibly, I like the history and tradition behind the product, and that adds to the experience.

I quit smoking using snus completely by accident. I tried snus just to try a different tobacco product, and liked it. I was still smoking, and wasn't thinking of quitting. found I was smoking less using snus, and after awhile I figured I might as well quit since I wasn't smoking as much. I reluctantly quit, and it was as easy as can be. The hardest part was leaving my old friend cigarettes by the side. I had been smoking a long time, and old physical habits, and traditions die hard.

Specifically to your question... I don't know how your quit smoking program works, but one thing that may make quitting snus harder, is there's fewer compelling reasons to do so. Snus isn't nearly as harmful as smoking, and while there is some harm involved, it's no more than many life choices people make on a daily basis. Other than that, I'd imagine the techniques for quitting would be similar. Break old habits, and readjust daily routine so it's easier to bypass the "snus moments" during the day.

[shag1952]

so what are the links to your quit smoking sites?

[toddzilla]

i think it's cyanides of some sort that they put in cigarettes =))

That sounds about right haha

I know I still have a nicotine addiction but the way snus delivers nicotine in a slow and constant manner is supposed to make it a lot less bad for you. The nicotine in snus also helps me some because I have a very moderate case of ADD and whenever I have a snus in it helps me think alot clearer. I know there are medications for ADD but for some reason(i really have no medical reports to back this up) I feel that nicotine can't be much worse than some of the stuff they put in those drugs.

[JohnDicey]

Thank you all so much for your views - really interesting stuff.

I really would like to know more about the downsides of snus - in terms of stuff about it you don't like.

Re precious007s question - yep we're opening in Rumania come the Spring - but we don't have meet-ups just seminars to help people stop smoking ;-)

[precious007]

Thank you all so much for your views - really interesting stuff.

I really would like to know more about the downsides of snus - in terms of stuff about it you don't like.

Re precious007s question - yep we're opening in Rumania come the Spring - but we don't have meet-ups just seminars to help people stop smoking ;-)

Looking forward for these seminars.

Can you give me a little more details?

Thanks

[lxskllr]

I really would like to know more about the downsides of snus - in terms of stuff about it you don't like.

The downsides are largely theoretical. You have a greater chance of gum recession, which varies by individual, and your chance of pancreatic cancer is double that of a non tobacco user. The study that found an increased risk of pancreatic cancer was flawed imo, and it needs to be corroborated. In any case, the risk is still small, so I don't concern myself with it.

The drawbacks that are more immediate, include availability in the USA, and snus being needlessly expensive. A large part of the cost comes from the government's egregious taxes on tobacco. Tobacco users have no duty to support society more than any other group, and anything other than typical sales/use tax is just a money grab.

[muddyfunkstar]

The Allen Carr method really does work. Sort of.

I quit for 9 months using it, then I foolishly fell off the wagon. Two years later I read it again and quit for 5 years. Then something happened and I started craving. Instead of re-reading the book I just suffered for months until I succumbed and had one cigarette. I struggled to stay off cigs until I discovered snus, and now I'm addicted to that.

Nicotine is a cruel mistress.

[precious007]

Nicotine is a cruel mistress.

One of the cruelest out there ;-)

[Hanske]

I've never smoked much, only if I've been offered by my girlfriend on parties. Combined I'd say about 20-25 cigarettes. I didn't feel any buzz or sickness, and rarely coughed. It wasn't a plesure, and I'm glad I use snus, and that she's started with it.

[bill77.017]

Thank you all so much for your views - really interesting stuff.

I really would like to know more about the downsides of snus - in terms of stuff about it you don't like.;-)

Hi John. For me the only downside of Snus is the addiction end of it. Sometimes i hate having
to rely on nicotine just to feel ok. Maybe sometime in the future i,ll read Allen Carrs book
again with a view to quitting nicotine altogether.